Product cartons, such as those used for bottles and cans of beverages and food supplements, are often equipped with hand holds or strap handles which make the cartons easier to carry.
Lifting a carton and its contents by a strap handle causes the weight of the package to be concentrated at the handle, certain areas of the panel (generally because of orientation considered to be the top panel) to which the handle is attached and other portions of the carton. The concentration of weight produces stress that can cause deformation and failure of the handle and various carton panels (particularly the top panel). Although the problems of deformation, failure and otherwise tearing can sometimes be addressed by using multiple plies of carton material and/or by using material of a higher caliper or thickness, such measures increase the cost of cartons. It can be appreciated that it would be desirable to have a strap handle that does not tear easily, that does not require carton panels to be reinforced or made of thicker material and that does not otherwise diminish the structural integrity of the carton while also conserving the quantity of carton material used.